Family
by Itherion
Summary: Kenji basically has a temper tantrum... The story will take a somewhat different turn in later chapters. It's basically one day in their life. It is marked as complete and I currently have no plans to write more after chapter 6. But I may write more.
1. Chapter 1

I so need to work on my writing skills.

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"Grampa Hiko!" A young boy yells as he runs around.

"Stop running around like a chicken with its head cut off! You're just like the baka deshi that your father is..." the older man laughs.

"No, I'm not. Shinta is the idiot. "

'How can he be an idiot,' Hiko thought. 'He's only a few months old' so Hiko asked him that.

"Your brother can't be an idiot just yet. He's too young."

"But he took mama and daddy from me. They're hardly there for me anymore. They're too tired most of the time."

"Babies need constant looking after, Kenji. They can't do anything for themselves. Your parents need you to be patient, that they do."

When did I start to talk like him...

"Why should I be patient? I want my daddy NOW!" Kenji started to bawl.

He held Kenji tightly in a sort of hug "Shh... Just a little while longer..."

"Shishou! Kenji!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Notes: I am taking liberties with technology around 1885/1886... I know electricity was possible at that time since street lamps in part of japan were electric from 1882 on but. I am making the house lighting electric and have electric/gas water heaters and full house plumbing. In reality, most of this probably wasn't even possible until 1900 at the earliest in the forms that I intended.

"Shishou! Kenji!"

"NO! I don't wanna go home! I hate you, daddy. I hate mommy too. And i especially hate Shinta, he's a big doo-doo head!" He started yelling.

"Now, now Kenji... You don't hate your mama, I know you don't... You may hate this one and I accept that. But remember that I'll always love you, no matter what... Now tell me why you hate your little brother..." he asked

"I don't hate you... It's just... I don't want to share you or mama with him... But he takes up so much of your time. You and mama are too tired to do anything with me." Kenji explained

"I was going to go to the market to buy a few things and to go fishing, and to have a picnic tonight. Right, Shishou? I can't believe you forgot to tell Kenji about that..."

"Where's mama?" Kenji asked

"She's going to meet us at the river later in the night. Did you know that today is a special day?"

"What's so special about today? It's only May Fourteenth." Kenji wondered.

"Kenji, May Fourteenth is a special day to your mother and I... It's..." Kenshin tried to explain to Kenji.

"It's their anniversary. There's also more to the story but I don't think that this idiot is ready to talk about it..." Hiko said.

"Thank you..."

"Why the river? All that's there at the riverbank are some blossom trees..."

"Kenji... At night during this time of the year fireflies come out, it's beautiful. Acutally, where we're going is right near here."

"It's pretty like mama?" Kenji looked amazed.

"Okay, I'll come. Come on, Grampa! We've got stuff to do!" Kenji excitedly yelled.

"Okay, okay... Slow down. Or else you're going to fall in the... Oh sh-"

Hiko plucked a partially wet Kenji out of the river. Kenshin didn't look too surprised and said "It's okay, Kenji. Your mother and I knew that you would get messy so I brought two changes of clothes. But now you need a bath too."

Kenji whined "I don't want a bath."

Hiko laughed. "I don't think they'll let a muddy boy into the Akabeko..."

"Grampa? Daddy?" Kenji said full of hope.

"Really? I love the Akabeko!"

"Yes, we are. After you take a bath."

"Sometimes you just have to love the new technology. It takes at most ten minutes to run a steaming hot bath..." He contentedly sighed. "It's convenient. Especially the lights, just flip a switch and the room is bright. I love the water heater... I didn't really like having to go outside and heat the water every time Kaoru, Kenji or I had to take a bath. It wasn't cheap to have the remodeling done. But it needed to be done."

"So you liked it so much that you spent a lot of money to have it done to this place too..." Hiko commented.

"It wasn't that much," Kenshin protested. "Apparently, the guy you bought this place from had most of the work done and had the tub in the storage shed..."

"Thank you anyways. It is convenient, I gotta admit... And the lights are brighter than what I had back in Kyoto."

"Shishou, they sucked. Badly."

"Haha, real funny." Hiko said.

"But it's the truth."

Kenji was sitting on the floor playing with a wad of clay, molding it into a figure.

"Kenji, are you ready to take your bath?"

"Yes."

So, Kenji had his bath... And ran off stark freaking naked to Hiko... Who had a towel ready to dry him...

"Well, looks like the Kenji Monster needs to dry off..."

Kenji laughed. "RAWR!"

"Shishou, have you seen-"

Hiko was getting Kenji dressed.

"I'm ready! Can we go now?"

"Yes, but you've got to hold one of our hands." Kenshin said. "You could have been hurt or worse if your grandfather hadn't been there to catch you..."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Note: As I said in the previous chapter, I am taking liberties with technology. Technically, commercial cameras weren't easily available until 1888. And in 1900 an easier, cheaper camera came out... called kodak brownie.

Which is probably what the camera in here is based on. I chose Okon to be Hiko's love interest mainly because she looks to be a bit closer in age to Hiko. I kind of dislike drawing her work hairstyle...

"I don't want to lose you, Kenji. There's only one of you in this world and there's no way to replace you." Kenshin looked like he was about to cry.

"Papa... I'm sorry for scaring you and Grampa..."

"It's okay." He hugged his little boy and said "Let's go."

Kenshin stopped at a booth. "Excuse me, I believe that you are holding a package for me? Under Himura."

"Oh, yes! It came in yesterday" She said. "Would you like it gift wrapped?"

"No thank you. But thank you for your kind offer to." Kenshin replied.

"No problem, sir."

"Excuse me, but what is this?" Kenji asked.

"That is a camera. It takes pictures of people, things and places."

"It sounds neat. Papa, can we get one?"

"Kenji, that is what is in this box... I tested one out right before and after your brother was born. I ordered one, and there is a pile of pictures in the box too... Most of this is for your mother... "

"I bet there's pictures of you in there, Kenji Monster." Hiko said.

"Really?"

"Actually, I think we all should sit down and look at some of them..." Kenshin said.

"Really?" Kenji asked

"Yes."

There was a picture of Kenji on top of Hiko's shoulders grabbing an apple and laughing.

Hiko had a small smile on his face when he saw that picture.

There were two different pictures. But, at the same time they were alike. One had a heavily pregnant Kaoru and Kenshin smiling into the camera in front of the blossom tree. While the other had Kenshin holding her tightly and kissing her not long after she gave birth to Shinta.

"Who took these?" Hiko asked.

"Sanosuke. He's scared of getting his soul sucked by getting a picture taken. But he's not afraid to take them. I got mone and Kaoru's revenge for the first picture we took together..."

"She showed me it." Hiko laughed. "I almost died from laughing..."

"Actually, there's a picture of you and miss Okon..."

Hiko had his arms around het with a smile on his face.

"You took that..." Hiko was slightly blushing...

"Grampa, it's you and that pretty lady that you said is gonna be your wife soon."

"Really, Shishou?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations. But why didn't you tell me?"

"Well~ it could be that I JUST asked her..."

"We should get going..." Kenshin smiled.

And so they went off.

"Oh, that kimono is so beautiful, don't you think, Shinta?" He cooed and giggled. "Yes, that's what I thought."

"K-kaoru?" Kenshin said. "It is truly a beautiful kimono, I think that... I want..."

"Excuse me, ma'am. I would like to buy this one." He politely asked and paid. "Thank you."

"W-would you..."

"Baka deshi, stop stuttering and say what you're trying to say. You're an embarrassment to men."

"I think this will look beautiful on you... It would mean the world to me if you would wear this tonight."

"Yes."

"What is in the box?" Kairu asked.

"A secret, you will find out this evening." Kenshin said.

"I want a hint." She pouted.

"You look so cute when you're pouting... It can and will make memories. It is special. It is not just for you but our whole family. But it is for you and I to use."

"Kenshin, stop being cryptic... I'm even more confused than I was before."

"Would you like to take a break? Kenji, Shishou and I are going to the Akabeko. Will you come with us?" He sweetly asked.

"Mama, please?"

"Yes, I am getting a little hungry."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Note: 1. I'm not a hundred percent what an 11 month old would eat so I came up with the easiest. 2. this was originally part of chapter 3 but the original versions of chapters 3 and 4 were extremely long. Chapter 5 (which is going to be a higher number obviously) is short. I had to shorten the chapters since I'm using quickoffice on my droid3. And it's time consuming to type up fics on a phone but its basically the only way...

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"Shishou, could you ask Miss Tae to have some mashed vegetables made for Shinta? We'll be in soon."

"Coming, milady?"

"Yes."

"I wanna get some frames for mama's pictures... Can we go find some later?"

"Yes. Let's tell Sae what we need."

"She's Tae."

"Oh hello, Kenji and Hiko. What brings you here today?"

"Four beef pot orders. An order of mashed steamed vegetables and four green teas."

"Hello, Tae. Did Hiko tell you what we wanted?"

"Oh, yes. Oh, Shinta looks so cute today. The vegetables are for him, right?"

"Yes."

"Here's your booth."

"Shishou, tell Kaoru what you told me earlier, she'd love to hear it from you." Kenshin whispered. "Kenji and I are going to pick up something. We'll be back before the food is done."

So, Kenshin and Kenji left.

"I... Asked Okon for her hand... She said yes."

"You're getting married?"

"What else does it sound like?" Hiko sarcastically said.

"You know what, I figured out a while ago... You'll probably deny this but I think that you think of Kenshin as your son, and I'm grateful for that since I know that he thinks of you as his father. You are a great man, and I am happy to have you as my father-in-law and the grandfather of our children. Thank you very much for being there for us. I am very happy that you finally asked her, I was going to ask you what your intentions were. I'm glad that you moved here to Tokyo, Hiko. Kenji thinks the world of you, you and Kenshin are your heroes, I'll have you know."

"That was... True... Sometimes, I think you are a psychic..."

"If you and Okon have a child, I'll have you know that Kenshin will protect and love him or her as if he or she is his brother or sister..."

"You can stop speaking. Yes, he is as much of a son as a person can have. And if, while he was doing the final trial for the succession technique, he failed. I... I would have been... I just don't know."

"Hiko."

"Do you know how much it hurts to see your son hurt, so much worser than he had ever been, not knowing if he was going to breathe his last breath during the night, seeing his small body full of deep wounds, burns and knowing there wasn't anything you could do... Do you know how badly I wished that I was in his place. For, your pretty face just isn't suited for tears."

"I felt the same way then. I felt helpless, all I could was hold his hand, change his bandages and hope that he would wake up. I tried not to cry then but since you're saying this, I know I wasn't able to hokd them in... I wished that I could go beat Shishio up in Hell for what he did to my Kenshin. But when he woke up and smiled at me, I felt so calm, so happy. Thank you for telling me this, Hiko."

Kaoru smiled.

"I don't ever want to see Kenshin, Shinta or Kenji hurt. I know that they'll get bumps and bruises and that's life for you. I mean, I don't want to see them ~hurt~ If Kenshin gets hurt like he did when he fought Shishio or Enishi, there is a large chance that he will die. And, I don't want to lose him... Shinta will be a whole year old next month and Kenji will be six before too long..."

"Kaoru, Kenji slipped into the riverbank this morning. We got him out right after he fell in. His hakama were muddy..."

"At least he's okay. Now, where are they?"

"Mama! Grampa! I got some candy."

The food came and all dug into it.

"Are the vegetables alright for him to eat?" Kenshin asked.

"Yes, he's eating them, isn't he?"

"Why didn't you tell me that Kenji fell into the river?"

"I was going to wait until tonight to tell you... When I saw you and that kimono, almost all rational thought went out of my mind. The only thing I could think was that you would look stunning in that kimono. I... I can imagine what it would be like to take it off of you tonight." He whispered.

"Only Kenji's legs got wet and dirty, Shishou caught him before he fell in more."

"Is this true, Hiko? Kenji?"

"Yes." Both males said.

"Shinta needs to have his nap, I'll see you men tonight..." Kaoru got ready to leave. "Kenshin? I love you. See you in a few hours..."

"Shishou, I didn't know that you felt that way after Shishio..."

"How much did you hear?" He was mortified.

"Everything after you said that Kaoru is a psychic... Which sometimes I think is true..."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Note: 1. This chapter was in the original notebook set as chapter 4. However, it was too long to type up since I kept stopping to watch some tosh.0... 2. This changed a lot from the first chapter... After the last chapter, I may end up writing more to this but it probably isn't going to end up happening. 3. I loved hiko explaining sex to kenshin and there were some fics that I read which I loved. Bats? Gion?

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"Can we go fishing yet?" Kenji whined.

"Yes, we just need to pick the poles up..."

So they went back to Hiko's place and grabbed the poles that were by the entryway.

Kenji caught four decent-sized fish, Kenshin caught one scrawny fish for, he was mainly helping Kenji. And Hiko being the master of everything: caught eight huge fish...

"We need to cook these before too long..." Hiko said.

"Daddy, how are babies made?"

"Bats? Gion? Stork? Special Seed? Cabbage Patch? Sex? Shishou, help!" He whispered.

"A father puts a special seed into a mother..." Hiko tried explaining.

"What kind of seed?" Kenji asked.

"It's made of love, it comes from the heart..."

"Your description of that is different from what I remember... I think I might have asked you at least two or three times until you told me the truth. Bats? Seriously, that wad stupid... And Gion? You really had to do that... At least what you told Kenji makes sense..."

"Food, idiot." Hiko growled.

So they started the fish on a stick and finished making them in record time.

"Something smells good." Kaoru said.

"Kenji and I made these." He bowed to her. "I hope the food pleases you, milady."

"Kenshin..."

Oro?

"Could you take Shinta for a few? My arms are tired."

He gently held Shinta to his chest, gently rocking him. And then helped Kaoru over to the picnic blanket.

"Just a year ago, we only had Kenji here, now we have both of our precious treasures to hold, to love." She held Kenji.

"Mama, this is embarrasing." Kenji whined.

"Get used to it, kid. Your mother is a very emotional woman. She knows what she wants." Hiko said.

"Kaoru, come here. I have something for you." He gave her the box.

"It's the only thing that I could think of giving you..."

"Kenshin! You got me a camera? Thank you..."

She looked through the pictures and had a large smile on her face.

"Kenji looks so cute with Hiko. Oh my... You had a picture taken of yourself... nude... Really... Oh... Megumi and Sanosuke too... Wait a minute... Does he even know that you took a picture of him? Are these... Now who took these two?"

"Sano took a few of the pictures. And yes, he knows that I took it... As revenge for the first picture we had taken."

"This is why Sanosuke had sonething weird in his hands and had us stay still for a bit... This is so sweet."

"We should eat, I think I can hear Kenji's stomach growling."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Note: So, this whole story was actually one whole day and some change. 2. The mushroom part is based on a fic or two that I liked.

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"See Food! Sea Food!" Kenji was laughing.

"Kenji! You eat with your mouth closed!"

"Children!"

An hour passed and Kenji was starting to get sleepy.

"It's time to leave, your mother and father need alone time."

"Are you sure, Shishou? You don't need to... Are you sure that you'll be okay with both Shinta and Kenji tonight?" Kenshin asked.

"Sadly, I actually know how to take care of babies... I had younger brothers..."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Here, Hiko. Just be careful with Shinta" Kaoru said.

Hiko stopped at the market and picked up a jug of milk.

Later, after getting back and putting Shinta to bed-

"Grampa..."

"What?" Hiko asked.

"I love you, Mommy, Daddy and Shinta... Night."

Kenji went to sleep and Hiko tucked him in...

Not much longer, Shinta started crying.

He had a dirty diaper, Hiko cleaned him up and got a new diaper on him.

Shinta's crying subsided and he fell back asleep.

"Well, I should get this cleaned up..."

Hiko scraped the poop from the diaper into the toilet. He had to admit that his clothes washing skills was nowhere near his idiot son's/idiot apprentice's skills. But the clothes and diaper(s) were nice and clean, and that was enough in itself.

"Grampa," Kenji yawned. "It's the middle of the night. Why are you washing clothes?"

"The diaper had to be cleaned. Lets get you back to sleep."

Kenji and Hiko went to sleep.

Morning came. Kenji woke up, complaining about being hungry and being watched.

"I want to cook but you have to watch me. It's something mama and papa came up with."

So Kenji made breakfast.

"This is good. I can figure out where you learnt this from..." Hiko said.

"Yeah, papa taught me, he said that every man should know how to cook."

"Your father knew how to cook from a very young age, just like you. He honed his skills throughout the years..."

"Please tell me a story." Kenji begged.

"I know. I'll tell you about the time your father ate laughing mushrooms... Here's a tip, if you're not a hundred percent sure what mushroom one is, don't eat them. He was learning how to discern (figure out) which herbs, berries and mushrooms were edible and which were poisonous. We had ran out of food, I was going to pick up food and supplies later in the day. The only reason we were out was rhat your father had been suck for two weeks. And when I mean sick, I mean that he about died from hiw sick he was. Two days before running out of food, he had just started fully getting better so I had started teaching jim how to figure out which are edible and poisonous. Your father ate who knows how many mushrooms...

He started acting all weird, put a ring of flowers on my head, started talking about squirrels and being generally weird. At the same time, he was laughing himself to death. Don't give me that look. It is actually possible for that to happen. I had to smack him upside his back a few times for him to start breathing right again.

The next morning, he woke up and couldn't remember a single thing except that he had ate a lot of mushrooms and felt horrible. The medicine I gave him since he thought he was dying, I gave him so-called heart strengthening medicine. It was a placebo. Kenji, placebo means that it's just used to appease someone... Your father, to my knowledge never wanted to eat mushrooms again..."

"Papa's an idiot?"

"Hey! Kenji that's mean..."

"Papa! Did you really do all that?" Kenji asked.

"Sadly."

"It's time to go home. Your mother's waiting for us. She made your favorite... It tastes good, I made sure to try a bite or two before I left."

"Thank you, Shishou."

'Thank you for everything, father.'

"No problem."

"Shinta, where are you?"

Giggle

He crawled to Kenji.

"He's right here."

"We should go home, your mother's probably getting worried..."


End file.
